Hummingbird migration underway in the US: Here's when they'll reach your garden
Birds are migrating to North America as temperatures rise and food become more readily available. And one fast-feathered bird has already arrived in part of the United States.
Hummingbirds undertake a major journey every spring, but what’s the best way to welcome them to your yard?
Hummingbirds are on the move, and soon, these fast-feathered birds will be fluttering through gardens all across the eastern and central United States.
After spending the winter in Central and South America, ruby-throated hummingbirds have been migrating northward across the United States. During the second half of April, they typically appear in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska, according to Mississippi State University Extension Service.
As of April 16, they have been spotted as far north as Philadelphia, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City.
As the calendar flips to May, they will have spread into the Northeast and Midwest, thousands of miles away from their wintertime roosts.
How to prepare your garden for hummingbirds
Filling a nectar feeder with sugar water is commonplace for folks who are trying to attract hummingbirds, but that isn't the only source of nutrition they seek out.
"Hummingbirds actually need a variety of food types. Insects are another important source of food, especially during the nesting season. They consume spiders and many types of flying insects," Mississippi State University said on its website. "Because of this, it is very important not to use pesticides on plants when providing for the needs of hummingbirds."
A Ruby-throated hummingbird hovers at a feeder at the Pages' home in North Yarmouth. (Staff photo by Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Lily, fuchsia, honeysuckle and azaleas are a handful of plants that flower in the springtime that attract hummingbirds. They can also help to provide the birds with shelter and a place to nest.
"Most hummingbird flowers are tubular in arrangement or shape, scentless, brightly colored, and easy for hummingbirds to hover around," Mississippi State University said.
The more plants the better when it comes to getting the attention of hummingbirds, and they can be just as helpful as bees because pollen stuck to their feathers can help to pollinate plants in bloom.
A ruby-throated hummingbird feeds from a salvia flower. (Mike Bons/Getty Images)
